Eador: Masters of the Broken World
/ pc

I don't know why I thought that putting a world back together -- conquering various floating landmasses and combining them through sheer force of will -- would be easy. Eador: Masters of the Broken World's similarities to Heroes of Might and Magic, Age of Wonder, and Kings Bounty gave me confidence, and then the leisurely-paced campaign tutorial taught me how to play an entirely different game.

Twenty minutes into my conquest proper, and I was being brutalized by unrelenting foes and rioting orcs. A remake of a Russian strategy game with old-fashioned sensibilities, Eador takes no prisoners and has a much higher opinion of my ability than anyone who knows me would.

It is one of those PC games that will have you fighting with the interface, shouting at the screen, and wondering where the hell the day went. It can be rather wonderful at times, but it's brought out the worst in me, turning me into a loud, angry man. Well, louder and angrier than usual.